Tsvangirai ready to talk if violence stops

HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwean opposition leader MorganTsvangirai said on Monday he was ready to negotiate withPresident Robert Mugabe's ruling party after his withdrawalfrom a presidential election, but only if political violencestopped.

Tsvangirai, who pulled out of the June 27 vote on Sunday,also called for regional leaders to push for a postponement ofthe poll or for Mugabe to step down. But the government saidthe election would take place as planned.

As concern mounted both within and outside Africa over theviolence, police raided the Harare headquarters of Tsvangirai'sMovement for Democratic Change and took away scores of victimsof political attacks, the party said.

Tsvangirai, who says around 90 of his supporters have diedin brutal attacks by Mugabe's ZANU-PF party, told SouthAfrica's Radio 702:

"We are prepared to negotiate with ZANU-PF but of course itis important that certain principles are accepted before thenegotiations take place. One of the preconditions is that thisviolence against the people must be stopped."

One idea that had been mooted is for negotiations on anational unity government that could tackle Zimbabwe's crisis.

Tsvangirai said his supporters would have risked theirlives if they voted on Friday, because of brutal attacks bysupporters of Mugabe's ZANU-PF.

Mugabe, 84, who has been in power since independence fromBritain in 1980, has vowed never to hand over to theopposition, branding them puppets of the West. He denies hissupporters are responsible for the violence.

Tsvangirai later told U.S. National Public Radio thatSouthern African Development Community leaders should work toensure the election "is postponed and conducted under SADC(standards) or to pressurise Mugabe to concede that in thefirst round he has lost the election and that he must give uppower."

The MDC has appealed to the international community,particularly the African Union (AU) and SADC to put pressure onMugabe to resolve an economic and political crisis which hassent millions of refugees fleeing into neighbouring countries.

Reaction was swift from Jean Ping, the AU's top diplomat.

"This development and the increasing acts of violence inthe run-up to the second round of the presidential election,are a matter of grave concern to the Commission of the AU," hesaid in a statement.

Ping said he had started consultations with AU chairmanJakaya Kikwete, the president of Tanzania, with SADC and withthat body's designated mediator in the crisis, South AfricanPresident Thabo Mbeki, to see what could be done.

Ping, the commission chairman, said Zimbabwe was at acritical point and called for restraint and an end to violence.

Angola's foreign ministry said on Monday SADC foreignministers were meeting in Luanda to discuss the Zimbabwe crisisand might issue a statement later in the day.

Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa, the current SADCchairman, said on Sunday the run-off must be postponed "toavert a catastrophe in this region."

Zimbabwean Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa said the votewould take place on Friday despite the withdrawal of Tsvangiraibecause he had left his decision "too late".

(Additional reporting by Cris Chinaka in Harare, TsegayeTadesse in Addis Ababa, Shapi Shacinda in Lusaka, Paul Simao inJohannesburg; Writing by Barry Moody)